Prompt
For this assignment, consider the following scenario:
You are a medical and health management consultant just hired by a prestigious New England hospital wanting to open branches in a foreign country. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this burgeoning field is expected to grow almost 80% by 2018, so you know the healthcare industry is attempting to expand and diversify its cultural perceptions. Your primary concern as consultant is evaluating some of the cultural, legal, and logistical needs of the country so you can report back to the board of trustees on the option to which the hospital might be best suited.
Pick from the list of three countries (France, China, or Ethiopia) to complete a preliminary medical healthcare analysis. Your investigation does not have to be exhaustive, but it should provide the responses to the following questions after selecting a potential country:
- How does the country’s overall quality of life compare to that of the United States? Discuss this by briefly examining estimates in poverty, education, healthcare accessibility, birth rate, and life expectancy. Suggested resource: United Nations Development Programme: International Human Development Indicators
- In your informed opinion, does the selected country successfully treat issues of both physical and mental health?
- Describe at least one type of traditional medicine from your selected country. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of traditional medicine?
- What health-related laws are different (if any) in your selected country than in the United States? For help, try investigating the country’s policies regarding more ethically complex practices: abortion, euthanasia, stem-cell research, genetics, mental health, etc.
- Do you see any similarities or influences from your selected country on the healthcare practices and beliefs in the United States?
What to Submit
Your assignment should be submitted as a 2-page Word document with double spacing, one-inch margins, and 12-point Times New Roman font. Your responses should demonstrate an analysis of the key concerns as related to the five questions above. Be sure to provide citations for any additional sources.